Shirley Luster was born in Springfield, Illinois, and moved with her family to Decatur, Illinois, when she was three years old. She began to sing with the Decatur-based Bill Oetzel Orchestra at thirteen. While attending Decatur High School she appeared with Oetzel and his society band, the Ben Bradley Band, and Bill Madden's Band. After high school she moved to Chicago, changed her name to Sharon Leslie, and sang with a group led by Boyd Raeburn. Later she joined Benny Strong's band. In 1944, Strong's band moved to New York at the same time Christy was quarantined in Chicago with scarlet fever.
In 1945, after hearing that Anita O'Day had left Stan Kenton's Orchestra, she auditioned and was chosen for the role as a vocalist. During this time, she changed her name once again, becoming June Christy.
Her voice produced successful hits such as "Shoo Fly Pie and Apple Pan Dowdy," the million-selling "Tampico" in 1945, and "How High the Moon". "Tampico" was Kenton's biggest-selling record. When the Kenton Band temporarily disbanded in 1948, she sang in nightclubs for a short time, and reunited with the band two years later in 1950.
Beginning Sept. 28, 1959, Christy began a five-week road tour of 38 performances called "Road Show". The all-star billing: Stan Kenton and his orchestra, June Christy, The Four Freshmen. Capitol recorded highlights on October 10 at Purdue University in Lafayette, Indiana, for a two-disc LP, reissued in 1991 on CD.
From 1947, she started to work on her own records, primarily with arranger and bandleader Pete Rugolo. In 1954, she released a 10" LP entitled Something Cool, recorded with Rugolo and his orchestra, a gathering of notable Los Angeles jazz musicians that included her husband, multi-instrumentalist Bob Cooper and alto saxophonist Bud Shank. Something Cool was re-released as a 12" LP in 1955 with additional selections, and then entirely rerecorded in stereo in 1960 with a somewhat different personnel. Christy would later say that the album was "the only thing I've recorded that I'm not unhappy with." Something Cool was also important in launching the vocal cool movement of the 1950s, and it hit the Top 20 Charts, as did her third album, The Misty Miss Christy.
In the 1950s and 1960s, Christy appeared on a number of television programs, including the short-lived CBS show Adventures in Jazz (1949), Eddie Condon's Floor Show (1949), The Jackie Gleason Show (1953), The Tonight Show (1955), The Nat King Cole Show (1957), Stars of Jazz (1958), The Steve Allen Show (1959), The Lively Ones (1963). and The Joey Bishop Show (1967). She also appeared on the first sponsored jazz concert on television, The Timex All-Star Jazz Show I (December 30, 1957), which also featured Louis Armstrong, Carmen McRae, Duke Ellington and Gene Krupa.
Christy embarked on dozens of concert tours, playing in Europe, South Africa, Australia and Japan. She toured to such an extent that eventually it began taking a toll on her marriage. She began to pull back from touring in the early 1960s.
R.M. Cook and Brian Morton, writers of The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings, appreciated the singer's body of work: "Christy's wholesome but particularly sensuous voice is less an improviser's vehicle than an instrument for long, controlled lines and the shading of a fine vibrato. Her greatest moments—the heartbreaking 'Something Cool' itself, 'Midnight Sun,' 'I Should Care'—are as close to creating definitive interpretations as any singer can come."
Christy semi-retired from the music business in 1969, in part due to her battle with alcoholism.
In 1972, she sang at the Newport Jazz Festival in New York City, where she was reunited with the Kenton Orchestra. She also performed at a handful of jazz festivals during the late 1970s and 1980s, playing with a band of all-star West Coast jazz musicians led by Shorty Rogers, as well as taking part in a number of world tours.
Christy returned to the recording studio in 1977 to record her final solo LP, Impromptu. She recorded an interview for a Paul Cacia produced an album in 1987 called "The Alumni Tribute to Stan Kenton" on the Happy Hour label. A number of other Kenton the alumni-Shorty Rogers, Lee Konitz, Jack Sheldon, among them, plus Mort Sahl - interspersed their tunes with reminiscences of the man and the years on the road.
Christy toured one final time in 1988, again with Shorty Rogers. Her final performance was sharing the stage with Chet Baker.
Christy died at her home in Sherman Oaks, California of kidney failure on June 21, 1990, at the age of 64. Her remains were cremated and scattered off the coast of Marina Del Rey.
Give Me the Simple Life
June Christy Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Why mess around with strife?
I never was cut out to step and strut out.
Give me the simple life.
Some find it pleasant dining on pheasant.
Those things roll off my knife,
Just serve me tomatoes, and mashed potatoes,
A cottage small is all I'm after,
Not one that's spacious and wide.
A house that rings with joy and laughter
And the ones you love inside.
Some like the high road, I like the low road,
Free from the care and strife.
Sounds corny and seedy, but yes, indeed-y,
Give me the simple life.
The lyrics of the song "Give Me The Simple Life" by June Christy speak to a desire for a straightforward and uncluttered existence. The singer eschews conflict and the trappings of luxury, preferring instead a humble abode and simple pleasures. The lines "I don't believe in frettin' and grievin', / Why mess around with strife?" suggest a commitment to living in the moment and avoiding unnecessary worry or anxiety. The singer also rejects the idea of social climbing or striving for status, stating "I never was cut out to step and strut out."
The song goes on to describe an affinity for uncomplicated food and the comfort of a cozy home filled with love and joy. The lines "Just serve me tomatoes, and mashed potatoes, / Give me the simple life" evoke a nostalgic and homey feeling. Similarly, the idea of a cottage filled with laughter and surrounded by loved ones conjures up a sense of warmth and contentment. The final lines of the song, "Give me the simple life," serve as a clear declaration of the singer's values and priorities.
Overall, "Give Me The Simple Life" is a celebration of the beauty and richness of a life lived with simplicity and authenticity. The song's lyrics express a desire for a kind of peace and fulfillment that can only be found by rejecting the trappings of power and privilege and embracing a more humble way of life.
Line by Line Meaning
I don't believe in frettin' and grievin'
I don't waste my energy worrying and stressing
Why mess around with strife?
Why bother with conflict and struggle?
I never was cut out to step and strut out.
I'm not the type to show off or try to impress others.
Give me the simple life.
I prefer a life that is uncomplicated and easy-going.
Some find it pleasant dining on pheasant.
Some people enjoy fancy or expensive meals.
Those things roll off my knife,
But those things don't interest me.
Just serve me tomatoes, and mashed potatoes,
I'm content with humble, simple food like tomatoes and mashed potatoes.
A cottage small is all I'm after,
I don't need a big or fancy house.
Not one that's spacious and wide.
A cozy and comfortable cottage is enough for me.
A house that rings with joy and laughter
I prefer a home that is full of happiness and laughter.
And the ones you love inside.
And with the people I love close by.
Some like the high road, I like the low road,
Some people prefer the more difficult or ambitious path, but I don't.
Free from the care and strife.
I just want to live a life that is free of worries and troubles.
Sounds corny and seedy, but yes, indeed-y,
Some may see my preferences as unremarkable, but I stand by them.
Give me the simple life.
Once again, I just want a life that is simple and fulfilling.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: HARRY RUBY, RUBE BLOOM
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Emi Acidic
I don't believe in frettin' and grievin'
Why mess around with strife?
I never was cut out to step and strut out
Give me the simple life
Some find it pleasant dining on pheasant
Those things roll off my knife
Just serve me tomatoes and mashed potatoes
Give me the simple life
A cottage small is all I'm after
Not one that's spacious and wide
A home that rings with joy and laughter
And the ones you love inside
Some like the high road, I like the low road
Free from the grief and strife
Sounds corny and seedy, but, yes, indeedy
Give me the simple life
Zai Galeana
No one can deny MacFarlane’s excellent taste in music.
Alyssa Setler
so im not he only one lmfao
Adventure Cola
@Alyssa Setler not the only one hahaha
Alessondra Pope
such a cute voice. why does it seem like only people from tha old days had voices like this?
Alessandra marquez
I wonder the same thing, I would love to hear a new artist from now a day with a similar type of singing voice😌
Bennett
@Alessandra marquez There is a singer called Laufey, she sings something similar to this
mr_nobody_000
im glad modern shows include songs like this so more people can discover great music
Rahhim De Pinedo
she is so unique, silky/smooth voice tone, great performer, beautiful, the whole package, sadly unfairly underrated in her time, nevertheless it wouldn't be too far fetched to say she have to be in the top of the chart
Spacenachos
Whatever you feel about the show, you have to admit, family guy plays some great songs. Probably because Seth Macfarlane has a background in music.
TIFI
I feel family guy is amazing